


Mukuro is shown the compassion she deserves

by omniBat



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Afterlife fic, Alternate Universe - Afterlife, Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Ikusaba Mukuro-centric, Maizono Sayaka-centric, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27115249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omniBat/pseuds/omniBat
Summary: Sayaka watches, shocked, from the afterlife as Monokuma spears Junko in the middle of the gymnasium. But to her surprise, it's not Junko's ghost that appears at the front gates.
Relationships: Ikusaba Mukuro & Maizono Sayaka
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	Mukuro is shown the compassion she deserves

Sayaka stood in the gymnasium alongside her friends. Monokuma was saying something about the upcoming trial following her death, but she had pretty much stopped listening. That is, until Junko stepped forward.

“W-wait, hold on a second! You’re freaking insane, you know that?!” The fashionista looked shocked and absolutely furious. Actually, now that she was  _ really looking  _ at Junko, something seemed off. She zoned out again, thinking about Makoto’s comments when he’d first met Junko. He’d said something about her not looking the way he’d expected, and she said that it was because of photo editing software. But now that Sayaka had her memories, and now that she could get a good look at her without seeming like a creep… she realized that Makoto had been right. There  _ was  _ something strange about Junko, and it wasn’t just stuff that could be changed with editing.

Sayaka was snapped out of her thoughts again when the voices of Junko and Monokuma rose.

“If you really wanna get out of here, you’’l have to go through ME, first!” With a not-very-intimidating growl, Monokuma charged at her classmates. In a flash, the bear was underneath Junko’s boot.

“Are you enjoying yourself  _ now? _ ” She asked, smug.

“ _ Are you?” _

“Huh?”

“Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is not allowed. You’ve violated a school regulation. I invoke the mighty summon spell! Help! To me, godly spear Gungnir!”

Following Monokuma’s screech,  _ several _ spears appeared out of nowhere, impaling Junko’s body several times over. She stood there, covered in blood, held up by the things that had killed her. Her eyes were wide open with shock and fear.

Junko forced out a few final words,  _ "H-Huh? This wasn't...supposed to... Why...me...?"  _ And then she dropped to the ground.

Screams rung out through the gymnasium. Sayaka heard a bell in her version of Hope’s Peak, a sound she realized indicated the arrival of a new spirit.  _ Oh my god,  _ Sayaka thought,  _ he killed her… as an  _ **_example_ ** _. _

Sayaka remembered what it was like when she first arrived. She should go to the front gates and welcome Junko. She looked at her classmates, promising to come back and continue watching over them in a little while.

She spent the next ten minutes or so sitting on the front step, until she saw a golden shimmer in the air, getting more solid-looking as it got closer. She stood, ready to catch the ultimate fashionista in case she lost her balance. Then, with a soft  _ pop _ , the air solidified and took the form of the girl Sayaka had just seen die. 

But… that’s  _ not _ who she saw. She saw a different girl, one who looked a lot like Junko, but…

“Mu… Mukuro?!”

The recently-deceased girl’s eyes flew open, her gaze locking onto Sayaka’s. She blinked, looked down at her hands and touched the sides of her head.

“Wh… why were you dressed as Junko? What… what’s going on?”

Mukuro was quiet, tears filled her eyes. “That BITCH!” She yelled, something Sayaka had never heard her do. “She said we were in this together!  _ Fuck _ !” Anger gave way to grief and betrayal, she began to sob violently, pulling at her hair as she screamed in anguish.

“Oh, oh my gosh…” Sayaka got a little closer, moving cautiously. “I’m so sorry, Mukuro, I don’t… I don’t know what’s going on, but-” She reached out to touch the girl’s shoulder. 

“Don’t _fucking_ touch me!” Mukuro recoiled away from Sayaka, and dashed inside.

“Mukuro, wait!” Sayaka ran after her, following as she stamped all the way to the fourth floor. She walked straight through the door of the data processing room, all the way to the back and through a door designed to look like that wretched bear. When Sayaka caught up to her in that last room, she was baffled.

It was clearly a control room, with several TVs displaying security footage from around the school. And sitting in the big chair in front of all the controls, was  _ Junko Enoshima _ . Sayaka felt like her brain might explode. Junko was speaking into a mic, talking to the students in the gymnasium and clearly taking great joy in the game she’d created.

“What did I do wrong?!” Mukuro screamed at her sister, who obviously wasn’t even aware of her presence. “I’m so sorry Junko! I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough! Please, forgive me! Please, I’m so sorry!” She fell to the ground, her knees weak. “Junko! Please listen to me! Why can’t you hear me? I just wanted… All I wanted was to help you!” Her cries devolved into unintelligible sobs, she struck the floor with her fists as she screamed. She went back and forth between begging for forgiveness and cursing her sister out. Sayaka didn’t want to get too close, so she watched from afar and waited to see if Mukuro would be more receptive once she’d tired herself out.

She doesn’t know how much time passed. Mukuro screamed herself hoarse, until all she could do was lay on the floor, crying softly as she muttered her sister’s name.

Sayaka took a step forward. “M… Mukuro?”

The soldier’s reddened eyes snapped up to meet hers, all of her emotions plain on her face. “What the fuck do  _ you  _ want?”

“I-I’m sorry, I was just wondering if… I could help you in some way...”

Mukuro turned away again, looking up at her sister, who was still watching the screens and giggling with despair-induced delight. “No… not unless you can fix this somehow.”

“I… I can’t, I’m sorry. But, um- hold on.” Sayaka left the room. Mukuro figured she wouldn’t come back. She stayed where she was, wishing there was  _ something  _ she could have done to change this. She had almost fallen asleep when the door opened and Sayaka stepped back in.

“Here you go.” She crouched next to Mukuro and offered her a glass of ice water. “Having something to drink might help.”

Mukuro looked at her with indifference, but sat up and took the cup anyway. Sayaka smiled as she began to slowly sip the water, it seemed to help somewhat. 

“I, uh, I also brought you this.” She took a blanket out from under her arm. “And I know you’re a soldier, and also an adult, but… I found this, too.” She revealed an antique doll she’d received from the MonoMono Machine. “It’s silly, but… I thought it might be nice to have something to hold.”

She carefully draped the blanket over Mukuro’s lap, and put the doll next to her. Mukuro watched her movements, eyebrows furrowed. “...Why are you doing this?”

Sayaka shrugged, lowering herself to her knees beside Mukuro. “Why not?”

“Because… you have to know I have something to do with this. ...Right?” Mukuro looked down into her water, watching as the ice moved with her shaking hands. “I’m half the reason you’re dead.”

Sayaka sighed, and took a moment to think through an answer. “Yeah, maybe. But we’re here now. We’re both in the same place, so… I dunno. I figure maybe we should, like… be there for each other.” Sayaka didn’t want to say everything she was thinking. Combining what she remembered about the twins with what she’d just seen from Mukuro, she started to get a picture of their relationship. Perhaps there was more to Mukuro than anyone had realized.

The girls were startled out of their silence when Junko suddenly screamed with laughter. Mukuro flinched, almost spilling ice-cold water into her lap.

The air grew quiet again, and the girls relaxed. “Uh,” Sayaka said softly, not wanting to startle Mukuro a second time, “Do you wanna get out of here? I could walk you to your room or something…”

Mukuro seemed to genuinely consider the suggestion. It was certainly appealing. But even though her sister had literally just killed her, she felt indebted to her. As she opened her mouth to speak, Junko slammed her palm against the console, letting out an ungodly shriek followed by cackling that made Sayaka’s stomach turn. Mukuro turned to her, looking a little sick herself, and gave her a curt nod. 

The girls stood, Mukuro pulled the blanket over her shoulders and held her glass of water tightly. The two reached the door when Sayaka heard Mukuro gasp softly. She turned to see the soldier walking back into the room to grab the doll she’d brought her, her face beet red. Sayaka smiled, hoping to convey to her that there was nothing to be embarrassed about. 

“Do you want me to carry something?”

Mukuro paused, shooting her a sidelong glance. “...Mmph.” She grumbled and handed the water glass to Sayaka. “...’Fraid m’gonna spill it…” Sayaka could see why. Her hands were shaking violently as she wrapped her arms tightly around the doll.

They reached the room marked “Junko”, and Mukuro shuddered when the door opened. It was decorated the way an Ultimate Fashionista would’ve decorated it, even including posters of Junko herself. The room smelled thickly of perfumes of clashing scents, even in this ethereal world. Mukuro was starting to look sick again.

Sayaka couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going on in her head. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have such conflicting feelings about a person, a person who (it seemed) had abused you for a long time, if not your whole life. Mukuro is stuck between idolization and feelings of complete and utter betrayal. At least, that’s what Sayaka was picking up on. 

“Mukuro, if you’d like, you could spend the night in my room.”

“Hmph, I don’t need any more of your pity.” She walked with resolve into the overwhelming room.

_ I know she was working with the mastermind, but… _ Sayaka thought as she watched Mukuro,  _ I think there’s more to it than that. I just feel like she shouldn’t be so alone right now. _

“A-actually,” Mukuro turned to Sayaka when she spoke, eyes still red, but full of exasperation. “I was just trying to protect my own pride… I’m still pretty shaken up from getting, ah, you know… and I guess I thought having the Ultimate Soldier spend the night in my room might make me feel safer…”

Mukuro’s cold-hard stare softened for a moment, barely perceptible. “Mmh. Fine.  _ BUT-”  _ suddenly, there was a knife at Sayaka’s throat. Mukuro’s face was close to hers, eyes piercing into her soul. “ _ If anyone… EVER… hears about what happened when I first got here… you’ll be dead a second time.” _

Sayaka nodded. She wasn’t sure if that was even possible, but she believed that Mukuro could figure out a way if she set her mind to it. 

Mukuro was suddenly away from her again, the knife completely out of sight and her demeanor back to normal as if she hadn’t moved in the first place. “Mm. Good. Let’s go.”

Mukuro led the way into the hall while Sayaka struggled to pick her jaw up off the floor. She blinked, shook her head to clear her mind, and jogged for a couple paces to catch up with her new friend Mukuro.

Mukuro dropped her blanket onto the floor of Sayaka’s room.

“Do-do you wanna sleep on the bed? I don’t mind taking the floor.”

“Why would I take your bed? I’m only here to make you feel safer. Besides. I prefer the floor. I’m used to it.”

“U-um, okay! If you’re sure!”

Mukuro turned her attention to Sayaka’s design choices. There were several posters featuring popular bands, including Sayaka’s own group, herself pictured front and center. Mukuro scoffed. “A little self absorbed, isn’t it?”

Sayaka turned to see what she was looking at. “Oh, hah, I guess. But actually, I hung it there so I could see my bandmates. They’re the most important people in my life, I really miss them…” Sayaka felt like she might cry thinking about it.

“Hm.” Mukuro’s eyebrows were raised slightly, looking a little surprised.

Before either could say anything else, a bell sounded throughout the building, and Monokuma’s voice followed. “Erm, so ah… I’m getting tired of waiting. It’s time for the long-awaited class trial! Everyone please proceed to the large red door on the first floor!”

“Uh, I feel like I should probably go to the trial…” Sayaka said, “You don’t have to come, though.”

“Hm, I will.”

“R-really? Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I mean, you asked me to keep an eye on you, right?”

“Ah, y-yeah.”

The girls walked in silence to the door, passing a few of their classmates on the way. Mukuro wasn’t carrying anything anymore, but she did look alert. Her posture was stiff and upright, her footsteps regular. She was clearly a soldier. 

As they waited outside the elevator, Taka berated Makoto for being late.

“Hmph,” Toko looked at Makoto with contempt, “I bet y-you were afraid of being discovered as th-the murderer you are…”

_ Uh oh…  _ Sayaka quickly realized the situation she’d put Makoto in.  _ I wanted to frame him, but not for  _ **_my_ ** _ death… _

She felt bad for that, sure. And she felt bad for trying to frame him for Leon’s death, to an extent. She stood by the fact that she did what seemed like the right choice at the time. Sayaka has always been the type to pursue things relentlessly, with an almost Machiavellian determination. This time was no different. She did what she needed to do in order to protect the people she cared about, and she’d stand by that decision. Of course, it had unfortunately backfired. She hoped that Leon wouldn’t get away with it, for everyone’s sake.

  
  
  


Following the trial and (frankly,  _ horrifying _ ) execution, Mukuro escorted Sayaka back to her room. She walked beside her at attention, as if she were protecting Sayaka from a potential assassination.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna share the bed? You don’t have to, of course, but… It might make me feel safer.”

Mukuro looked a little embarrassed and glanced to the side. “Ah… okay.”

Sayaka smiled as she climbed into bed and patted the spot next to her, inviting Mukuro to join her. The two settled down in the dark, facing away from each other for several minutes of silence.

Sayaka heard Mukuro sigh. “Maizono…”

“Hm?”

“How’d you know that I… augh…” she groaned and finished her sentence without pausing, “How’dyouknowIwantedcompany?”

Sayaka giggled. “Didn’t I mention? I’m psychic!” She heard shuffling behind her, and she turned around to come face-to-face with Mukuro’s scowl. “Heheh… sorry.”

The soldier scowled for a moment or two longer, then her gaze softened into something fonder. “Um… th-thanks, Maizono. For-” She blushed and averted her gaze. “For… for being there for me.”

Sayaka found her friend’s hand under the blanket, and held it in her own, offering a reassuring squeeze. For the first time ever, Mukuro thought maybe, just maybe… she deserved a real friend like her.

**Author's Note:**

> um, i hope you liked this! kudos, and comments especially, are always appreciated!!!


End file.
